The Times They Are a-Changin' was a 2006 dance musical featuring the songs of Bob Dylan, conceived, directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp. The show takes place in a setting described as "somewhere between awake and asleep," a dreamlike circus environment in which a coming-of-age conflict between a tyrannical circus master, Captain Ahrab, his idealistic son, Coyote, and a circus performer, Cleo, is told among a choreographed world of clowns, contortionists and Big Tops. Premiering in San Diego in February 2006, the show eventually moved to Broadway, opening on October 26, 2006. The show received uniformly negative reviews, and closed on November 19, 2006 after 35 previews and 28 performances. Background In 2002, Twyla Tharp brought to Broadway a dance musical based on the songs of Billy Joel, Movin' Out, which was a commercial success and ran for more than three years. The idea for a dance musical based on Dylan's work was initiated by the artist himself, who contacted Tharp suggesting the collaboration; however, Dylan had no creative input on the eventual production. Tharp spent a year on research for the production, as well as another year-and-a-half on casting, rehearsing and workshopping. The show was described in its Broadway Playbill as "A tale of fathers and sons, of men and women, of leaders and followers, of immobility and change," which "uses prophecy, parable, metaphor, accusation and confession—like the Dylan songs which comprise it—to confront us with images and ideas of who we are, and who it is possible to be.” Despite the show's categorization as a "dance musical," Tharp did not consider it so: the show's website called it instead "an original action-adventure fable conceived by Ms. Tharp." Production history The show debuted at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California on February 9, 2006 running through March 2006. The show premiered on Broadway at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on October 26, 2006. Sets and costumes were by Santo Loquasto, and lighting by Donald Holder. The cast featured John Selya, Michael Arden, Neil Haskell, Thom Sesma, and Lisa Brescia. Original cast 2006 Broadway production Coyote - Michael Arden Captain Ahrab - Thom Sesma Cleo - Lisa Brescia Ensemble - Lisa Gajda, Neil Haskell, Jason McDole, Charlie Neshyba-Hodges, Jonathan Nosan, John Selya, Ron Todorowski Production team 2006 Broadway production Twyla Tharp - Conceiver, Director, Choreographer Santo Loquasto - Scenic and costume design Donald Holder - Lighting design Peter Hylenski